DOES ARTHRITIS PAINGRIND YOU DOWN?
Millions of Americans suffer from arthritis pain every day, taking ibuprofen and even stronger medications to numb the pain and address the ongoing inflammation. The word arthritis literally means joint inflammation and the cause of osteoarthritis is usually attributed to 'wear and tear' while rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Three very common joints where people experience osteoarthritis are the hips, knees, and lower back (L4-L5 and L5-S1 joints). While the pain from osteoarthritis can sometimes occur suddenly, the degenerative process began long ago. Think of how laptop charging cables inevitably wear down from being tossed in bags and folded and unfolded hundreds of times. Then one day you plug in your charger and the power is suddenly cut off (that would be the onset of pain in this analogy), but then you manage to find juuuust the right cable position and it still works! (hint hint, efficient movement mechanics). Now that you know you can find a cable position that makes your charger work, you'll hunt for it every time and extend the life of your charger for as long as possible before replacing it because either you believe in the conspiracy of purposely weak cables designed to get your money or you know it's only a matter of time before the next cable breaks down too. (For anyone who needs duct tape to fix their charging cables, that would be the equivalent of strengthening muscles in this analogy!) Physical therapists are movement specialists, the health professionals whose job it is to help you find those efficient postures and motor patterns so that you can keep moving without pain. Preventing Joint Pain Studies show that the difference between people with painful and non-painful
osteoarthritis is movement mechanics. People with painful knee arthritis load the inner part of their knee more, whereas people with non-painful knee arthritis walk like people without arthritis 1 . Also, getting a hip replacement won't fix the walking pattern that led to the hip arthritis in the first place and will actually put the hip and knee of the opposite leg at a greater risk for also developing painful arthritis 2 . The best thing you can do to prevent arthritis is to exercise regularly with good form, using a mirror to make sure you can step up, squat, and lunge with a level pelvis and knees in line with hips. Remember it's never too late to re-train efficient movement! If you have questions or want your movement mechanics scrutinized by well-trained eyes, call us today and discover what physical therapy can do for you. 1. Thorp, L. E., Sumner, D. R., Wimmer, M. A., & Block, J. A. (2007). Relationship between pain andmedialknee joint loading inmild radiographickneeosteoarthritis.Arthritiscare& research, 57(7), 1254-1260. 2. Foucher, K. C., & Wimmer, M. A. (2012). Contralateral hip and knee gait biomechanics are unchangedby totalhip replacement forunilateralhiposteoarthritis.Gait&posture,35(1),61-65.
Exercise of theMonth Try this movement if you are experiencing hip pain.
Honey Garlic Shrimp
INGREDIENTS • 1/3 cup honey • 1/4 cup soy sauce
HipHikes
Glute Activation and Strength 3 x 10 + 10 sec x 3. Stand with one foot on the edge of a step and the other foot in the air next to the step. Make sure you have a railing or wall nearby if you lose your balance but keep your weight in your heel. Always keep your
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic • 1 teaspoon minced ginger • 1 lb medium uncooked shrimp, peeled & deveined • 2 teaspoons olive oil • Chopped green onion garnish
INSTRUCTIONS 1. Whisk the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger (if using) together in a medium bowl. 2. Place shrimp in a large zipped-top bag or tupperware. Pour 1/2 of the marinade mixture on top, give it all a shake or stir, then allow shrimp to marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes or for up to 8-12 hours. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the marinade for step 3. (Time-saving tip: while the shrimp is marinating, I steamed broccoli and microwaved some quick brown rice). 3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place shrimp in the skillet. Discard used marinade. Cook shrimp on one side until pink-- about 45 seconds-- then flip shrimp over. Pour in remaining marinade and cook it all until shrimp is cooked through, about 1 minute more. 4. Serve shrimp with cooked marinade sauce and a garnish of green onion.The sauce is excellent on brown rice and steamed veggies on the side.
knees straight while doing this exercise. Slowly let the foot in the air move towards the ground. Use your glute muscles to bring your pelvis back to level and your feet next to each other. Perform a set of 10 followed by a 10-second hold.
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